Modi-Shah Take ‘Project Ending Satraps’ Full Hog in BJP

BJP Brings Dawn of New Age CMs Without Shade of Regional Satraps

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, February 21: ‘Who is Rekha Gupta’ was the trend of the day on Thursday. A day after the oath-taking ceremony of Rekha Gupta as Delhi Chief Minister, hunger for curiosity to know her still stays.

Two and a half decades ago, Rekha Gupta rubbed shoulders with more flamboyant Alka Lamba in the Delhi University students’ politics. The quick road to national politics had in the past been discovered passing through the campus of Delhi University.

But Rekha Gupta unlike Alka Lamba and Ragini Nayak didn’t send shutter boxes scurrying. Her foul-mouthing former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also failed to gain media attention in the past. Rekha Gupta was also unimpressive in gaining popular attention while taking part in the MCD ruckus.

Rekha Gupta remained just another political aspirant, toiling her steps without attention. As Delhi’s Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta heads a Cabinet consisting of at least three heavyweight Ministers – Parvesh Verma, Kapil Mishra, and Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Additionally, she holds most of the key portfolios, including Finance and revenue, relegating her ministers with fewer responsibilities.

Rekha Gupta joins the likes of Bhajan Lal Sharma (Rajasthan), Mohan Yadav (Madhya Pradesh), Mohan Charan Manjhi (Odisha), Vishnu Dev Sai (Chhattisgarh), Nayab Singh Saini (Haryana) as the CM choice of the top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is understood to be referred to the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah.

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“The art of dismantling of regional satraps is so powerful that even the BJP workers cannot quickly say the names of the chief ministers of some of the states. The era of regional satraps in the BJP is now almost over,” said a senior functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

Indeed, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Devendra Fadnavis have ducked the trend in the BJP. Adityanath and Fadnavis emerged as regional satraps on the watch of Modi-Shah duo. The last two remaining regional satraps of the BJP are well known to have withstood attempts to cut their political wings in the past.

“Now the apparent criteria in selection for the post of the chief minister is also a clear absence of hints of potential to become a regional satrap. Anyone who has talent to become an Adityanath of a Fadnavis should rule out themselves from the CM race,” explained a senior BJP functionary.

Former BJP regional satraps Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan) and Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) are now on margins of politics. Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Manohar Lal Khattar are members of the Council of Ministers headed by Modi. Basavaraj Bommai warms the backbench in the Lok Sabha.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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